1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic data storage containers, and more particularly to a magnetic tape cartridge enclosure device that can be modular and mounted in a standard equipment rack, and which can compactly store a variety of audio and video cassettes, computer, eight-track or other types of data storage cartridges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of different types of tape storage devices are available on the market. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,116, issued Sept. 23, 1975 to Wolf et al., describes an enclosure which stores both boxed and unboxed tape cassettes. Short opposing shelves with recesses provide for vertical stacking of the cassettes. However, this device has no means for mounting the storage enclosure in an equipment rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,473 issued Nov. 4, 1980 to Aprahamian, discloses an insert adapted to store boxed cassette tapes and eight-track tapes in longitudinal troughs. The insert is convoluted and uses partitions, guide walls, shelves and spacing members to store the tapes. Tapes are accepted through the top of a carrying case containing the insert.
The utility container described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,865 issued Apr. 18, 1978 to Joyce, includes eight-track and cassette tape inserts. These inserts include parallel vertical laterally-spaced dividers of constant width that store the cartridges between them. Differently dimensioned inserts handle cassettes or eight-tracks separately, and no provision is made for mounting in an equipment rack.
A printed circuit card holder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,424 issued Apr. 19, 1966 to E. L. Kossoy et al. This holder accepts printed circuit cards from the front, which are secured by individual channeled guide members. Slotted flanges at the front of the holder provide for its attachment to a suitable support.
Heretofore, no industry has yet provided an electronic data housing storage device which can be mounted in a standard electronic equipment rack. The present invention has that capability and provides a new way of compactly storing electronic data housings of different sizes and types.